1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nutritional composition for individuals suffering from cardiovascular disease, and more particular, to acute or chronic heart failure.
2. The Prior Arts
Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome that represents the end stage of various cardiac diseases, with a dismal prognosis that is worse even than many types of cancer. The estimated cost of HF is currently between 1-2% of the total healthcare spending in developed economies and is expected to rise. Nevertheless, short- and long-term HF-related re-hospitalization and mortality remain high. Current treatments focus on drug therapies and devices (implantable defibrillators and resynchronization). However, they do not ‘cure’ the condition, and they are not truly ‘disease modifying’ for HF.
HF is considered to have a multifactor pathogenesis in which peripheral circulatory insufficiency, autonomic imbalance, activation of the renin-angiotensin system, inflammation, oxidative stress, immune system activation, and insulin resistance are intertwined in a complex manner. The metabolic abnormalities resulting from these complex factors can be linked to long-term myocardial dysfunction. In addition, these metabolic processes have been shown to affect other organs, including skeletal muscle, leading to fatigue and physical dysfunction of patients with HF. Moreover, complications of metabolic diseases such as anemia, diabetes mellitus, renal dysfunction, and cardiac cachexia also greatly influence the prognosis of HF.